Should you turn your RV’s propane system off every time you drive? Or is it okay to keep it on as you travel down the road?

In this episode, we answer the questions, brought about after an RVer got involved in an accident. Afterwards, he got to “what iffing,” wondering about his propane issues. We tell the story of his accident and get some great expert help on the answer.

Plus, Jennifer’s Tip of the Week, a Reader question about restoring a vintage RV, apps to make traveling better, a bucket list destination of the week and a fun interview with a mystery writer whose hero travels the country in an RV. Ever thought about writing a book? You’ll enjoy this interview.

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Shownotes for Episode 62 of the Roadtreking RV Podcast, released Nov. 18, 2015

JENNIFER’S TIP OF THE WEEK – A retractable Clothes Line for the RV

Jen’s tip is a response to an email she received from a reader named Jean Boyle, who asks: “Jennifer, Did you ever get the pull out clothes line you mentioned in one of the videos? If so, what did you get and do you like it? Thank you!” [spp-timestamp time=”6:01″]

Well, Jean, and anyone else who may be interested…. Yes, she did get one It’s a very handy retractable 8-foot long clothesline we found on Amazon for around $16. (http://amzn.to/1WXei4z). We have it mounted in the bathroom of our Roadtrek CS Adventurous XL. It mounted inside the shower enclosure and we use it to dry towels and the like as we travel.

Something else we added was a magnifying mirror we also found on Amazon for about $25 (http://amzn.to/1QswnmF)

[spp-tweet tweet=”Two accessories every RV bathroom should have”]

Propane: On or Off while Driving?

Don Bell from Texas got in a frightening accident in his RV a couple of weeks ago. We shared the story and video taken with his dash cam that caught the whole crash in a recent blog post. Lots of people wanted to know how it has gone fro Don since the accident. We can report that he is fine. His insurance is going to take care of it all and, thanks to his dash cam video, there is no doubt that he was not at fault and the ticket went to the driver of the pickup truck. This is the dash cam Don uses. But we also heard from Don after the accident. Don wanted to know what he should do about the propane on his RV while driving. [spp-timestamp time=”9:12″]

Asked Don: “The night before my Roadtrek was involved in a major roadway accident, I was using propane for the refrigerator, Alde water heating system and range. On the day of the accident my propane was turned off at the tank. If one or more of the propane lines had been breached amid sparks flying during the collision, how likely would it be that the residual propane would ignite? What additional pre-trip preparations should I undertake to minimize the risk, if one exists?”

I reached out to some experts for their advice.

First, Gary Bunzer, known as “The RV Doctor” (rvdoctor.com) and the technical expert for the Family Motorcoach Association (fmca.com) gave us a very helpful and detailed response.

Gary Bunzer, the “RV Doctor”

Gary says as a compressed fuel, propane is still relatively safe, even in the event of an RV collision. Obviously, if propane is leaking from a severed section of tubing and ignition sources are close by, that would present a problem. But on ASME tanks and DOT cylinders, multiple safeguards are present on every RV. With the ASME tank, more often found on motorhomes, inside the POL fitting that attaches directly to the tank service valve, is a square-looking device called an excess flow restrictor. This excess flow device protects the high pressure (tank pressure) from escaping to quickly should the regulator and/or the POL fitting be broken off.

The POL fitting (courtesy RVIA)

POL? I had to ask Gary about that one. And he notes that actually, the part has always been called “POL” and campfire wisdom says it stands for “Put On Left” since it’s always a left-hand threaded fitting. But it probably really stands for “Prest-O-Fit,” one of the first companies to produce gas fittings for RVs and mobile homes back when you and I were learning to tie our shoes. Prest-O-Fit used to stamp their initials into such specialty fittings and over time it became known simply as the POL fitting. Exciting stuff, this RV technical info, huh?

Keep in mind, says Gary, it will not totally shut off the gas flow, but it will impede it greatly. Other safety devices include the backflow check valve (at the ASME fill valve) and a separate safety relief valve.

Propane expands 24 to 1 in the atmosphere, meaning that as the gas escapes into the air, it will take 24 cubic feet of air to mix with 1 cubic foot of propane in order to support combustion. The fact that it expands so rapidly and literally combines with the air in an open atmosphere, that flammability is somewhat limited. It takes between 2.15% and 9.6% of gas in the air to even burn. That’s why a propane leak on the exterior of the RV is not as dangerous as a propane leak inside the coach. But that said, if a spark or ignition source were to be present, danger exists. Hence the importance of checking for propane leaks often (1-2 times per years), and especially if a user smells the presence of the odorant in the propane at any point.

At the propane regulator, the propane pressure in the system is reduced to .4 of one PSI (as required by the RV appliances). With low pressure, the chances of flammability (outside the coach) is minimal. To properly set and test the propane pressure regulator, service technicians routinely allow propane to escape into the air since the regulator must be adjusted while gas is actually flowing. It is possible to have “pressure” without “flow.” And the regulator has to be in operation to properly adjust the pressure to 4/10 of one PSI (11.0 water column inches).

Though the risk is slight, it is still possible, given the right circumstances, for a propane accident to occur. But with the service valve shut off completely while traveling, there is minimal risk at best, even with propane in the lines. Upon an accidental breach in any propane system, with the tank turned off, the rapid rate of expansion will dissipate the gas to stay outside the limits of flammability in most cases. However, it is encouraged for all RVers to turn the propane container(s) off while driving down the road.

Mark Polk of RVEducation101

I also posed Don’s question to Marl Polk, who runs the website and do it yourself site known as RVEducation101. Here’s what Mark said:

There has always been controversy about leaving the propane on while traveling. Lots of folks insist it needs to be on so the refrigerator can run to keep the food cold. The other side of the coin is if there is an accident where sparks or flames are present an open propane system could be disastrous. If the refrigerator is cold prior to leaving on a trip it will generally stay cold during the hours you are traveling, unless people are constantly opening the refrigerator door allowing it to lose some of the cooling. From a safety and (liability) standpoint I always recommend traveling with the propane system turned off at the cylinders or tank. You are not only safer in the event on an accident, but when refueling too if the refrigerator has an open flame in proximity to fuel vapors.

Mark also recommends folks use a pre-trip checklist so nothing important is forgotten.

[spp-tweet tweet=”Propane: On or off while driving your RV?”]

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Restoring a Vintage RV

We also had a question this week from a reader who wants to restore an old travel trailer. [spp-timestamp time=”22:07″]

Sponsoring this part of the podcast is Van City RV in St. Louis, and their Partner Dealerships Creston RV in Kalispell, Montana, and Wagon Trail RV in Las Vegas.Bringing You the largest Inventory of class B’s from three locations.

All three have a great fly and drive program. They’ll pick you up from the airport and will reimburse you $500 toward your airfare. Then, your RV will be fully prepared for travel, complete with full tanks of fuel and propane.

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RV NEWS OF THE WEEK:

Three stories for you this week, from the Yukon, Maryland and Utah- [spp-timestamp time=”26:00″]

TRAVELING TECH TIP: Apps to stay informed on news while traveling

We learned of the dreadful Nov. 13, attacks on Paris as we were driving through the night from Georgia towards our Michigan home. While millions of North Americans watched the story on television, we turned to apps to do the same thing, piping the audio from my smartphone through the vehicle’s sound system.[spp-timestamp time=”35:05″]

Both Direct TV, Xfinity and AT&T offer apps that allow you to watch live streaming television just as if you were home.

I listened to CNN, Fox News and Al Jazeera America as I drove, Jennifer watched the story unfold on the screen of my iPhone 6S Plus.

I have the Verizon Jetpack data card which I use for an in-vehicle Wi Fi Network, though your cell or tablet – assuming it has cellular service – will do just fine for most folks.

Another app ww use a lot is iHeartRadio, available for all platforms. I also have Tunein, another app. These apps let you listen to radio stations across the country.

We used one of the radio apps to also listen to the BBCs World Service for awhile after the American stations started repeating themselves.

About 3 am, somewhere between Atlanta and Chatanooga, we pulled into a Cracker Barrel to catch a few hours of sleep.

But thanks to the apps, we were as thoroughly informed as if we had ben at home, sitting in front of out TV.

[spp-tweet tweet=”Apps to stay informed while RVing”]

This podcast is brought to you by Verizon, with the nation’s largest and most reliable 4G LTE network.

The LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE, powered by Android Wear, is a smartwatch that connects to the Verizon 4G LTE network and helps you maintain that connected feeling without requiring your smartphone within constant arm’s reach.

Being connected through a smartwatch means that when you’re away from your smartphone, you’ll still get notifications and can reply to friends, search for food, listen to music and more. You’ll also be able to make and answer voice calls via Bluetooth.

Additionally, the smartwatch will be compatible with Verizon Messages, so texts you send from the watch will use your smartphone’s number, and your messages will sync across devices without needing your smartphone nearby.

The LG Watch Urbane 2nd LTE will be available online and in stores for purchase beginning November 19. You’ll be able to add the smartwatch to an existing Verizon Plan for $5 per month (taxes and fees apply).

This part of the podcast is brought to you by Leisure Time RV, serving central Florida and the Internet from Winter Garden, Florida.

Leisure Time RV, a family-owned dealership in Winter Garden, Florida, near Orlando has been in business for 45 years and is consistently among the top Roadtrek dealers in North America. They have a full line of the Roadtrek inventory as well as travel trailers and used RVs. Jennifer and I have visited Leisure Time RV and we know the staff and we are very impressed by the honesty, integrity and first rate service we found there.

INTERVIEW: RV Mystery series writer W.J. Costello

WJ Costello

W.J. Costello is the author of the Rip Lane novels. His career included stints as an internationally syndicated columnist and a nationally syndicated political cartoonist and a local radio personality. He lives in Maryland. [spp-timestamp time=”47:02″]

His character Rip Lane is a retired US Marshall who travels the country in an RV, solving mysteries. Here’s a link to his author page and books on Amazon – http://amzn.to/1WXim4I

We talk about his books and, specifically how Amazon has made it easy and convenient for writers to get their books out to the public and actually make money. “This is the best time ever to be a writer,” he says, explaining in the podcast how you can get around having an agent and a publisher and take your book directly to the marketplace and make a great living.

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Here’s how:

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And remember, you can appear in future episodes. Ask a question or voice your comments about RV topics by clicking the Leave Voicemail tab on the right side of this page here at Roadtreking.com. You can then use the microphone on your computer to record your words.

1 Comment

Nicole-Helene Vallee
on July 6, 2016 at 1:52 pm

I love your blog and YouTube channel! Have you and Jennifer got a pre-drive checklist for your CS Adventurous XL for before you pull away from one site to drive to the next (i.e. not a packing checklist)? What methods do you use and locations do you prefer to put such a list, on the steering wheel, the passenger’s seat?

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